I had fun this week taping an episode of Press:Here, a Silicon Valley show on the NBC station in San Jose, talking with host Scott McGrew, Forbes’ Elizabeth Cororan, and reporter of many hats Sarah Lacy.

Also on: Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelley talked about the week’s kerfuffle. Corcoran and Lacy said they thought that involving all Facebook’s users in a constitutional convention of sorts was mob rule. I said it was Googley to be listening.

I just wanted to add a comment to say that although I loved your book, and agree with many of your ideas, the events this week regarding Facebook highlights the fact that people are still very sensitive to the issue of privacy.

You state in your book that: “Privacy is not the issue. Control is.” But I suspect that the massive negative reaction to Facebook’s Terms of Use Policy (which eventually forced the U-turn) reveals a more fundamental sensitivity to the issues surrounding privacy and the use of personal information – even among young people.

I’m not sure that many would subscribe to your view that the sharing of personal information is a social act, and that to withhold this information “may be a new definition of anti-social or at least selfish behavior.” Because while I think it is laudable that you ‘eat your own dog-food’ and practice full disclosure regarding your life and business interests, I think you have underestimated the basic human instinct to protect privacy.

You make the point that Google has moved us into ‘Glass towns’, but in reality few of us live in glass houses, and fewer would feel comfortable living in homes with no curtains or blinds.

All this makes me wonder whether the next ‘big idea’ to spread across the web will come from the company that finds a way to hide us from Google (or at least control what Google can see of us).

Sarah

I have a GOOGLE TV and I love it! I’m a DISH employee and wasn’t to sure I was ready for the GOOGLE TV but I decide what the heck I can atleast try it. I been on the GOOGLE TV since I got it. It has been very educational for my daughter and I. They best part is that we can sit on the couch and do all the learning relaxed. I can check emails, watch videos and play learning online games. It’s wonderful!